Alarming State Report: German Forests in Worrisome Condition

The latest data on the health of German forests paint a concerning picture: Current surveys indicate that 80 percent of tree populations show symptoms of disease. Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir has presented these recent findings, which are based on the annual forest condition surveys. In this long-term monitoring process, which has been mapping the vitality of forests through sampling since the 1980s, the current diagnosis is particularly noticeable for the widespread damage to tree crowns. With a realignment of the Federal Forest Law, which looks back on almost five decades of history, the government aims to safeguard the German forest against the increasing weather extremes of climate change. The initiative includes measures to strengthen climate protection and biodiversity as well as to create sustainable economic prospects for owners and operators of forest areas, which cover approximately one third of Germany's land area. Carina Konrad, Deputy Leader of the FDP parliamentary group, emphasizes in her statement that it would be irresponsible to leave forests to their fate. She advocates for greater freedom of action for forestry, since an actively managed forest not only proves to be more resistant but also binds significantly more CO2. In order to achieve lasting resilience, non-native tree species must also be integrated into the ecosystem, as not all domestic species can withstand the increasingly frequent extreme weather events. Modern breeding methods and plant protection strategies should therefore find their place in forestry as well. Although the 2022 forest condition survey showed that about one third of the trees examined had crowns in an advanced stage of thinning, neither a significant improvement nor deterioration in condition was observed compared to the previous year. For this reason, both environmental organizations and forest owners are urgently calling for a transformation of forestry towards ecological, crisis-resistant landscape management.